Forty-five-year-old Ariel Shimondle had a second birthday this year — her 25th.

As a college student in 1977, Ariel received the shocking news that she had acute myelomonocytic leukemia. With conventional treatment, she was given two years to live.

Luckily for her, word had begun to spread in the medical community about an experimental treatment being developed in her hometown of Seattle that was showing promise against leukemia: the bone-marrow transplant. Nurses at her hospital suggested she look into it.

Her family contacted Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center where the procedure was being developed. Young and strong, Ariel was a perfect candidate.

"With only 20 beds available at Fred Hutchinson, I was very pleased to be accepted as a patient," she said. "I will be forever thankful for Fred Hutchinson, all the doctors, nurses and, of course, Dr. Don Thomas, who pioneered the bone-marrow transplant. Without them, I would not be here today."

Now an art illustrator with several books to her credit, Ariel lives in Mammoth Lakes, Calif., where her husband, Pete, manages a hotel. She also enjoys her status as one of the longest surviving bone-marrow transplant recipients.

"I feel good," Ariel said. "And I have my life ahead of me to do my part to make this world a better place."

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